Simplify and standardize the procedures for applying for patents abroad. Applicants only need to submit a PCT application, and they can apply for a patent in many countries within 30 months from the date of application, without submitting a patent application to each country within the priority period of 12 months, which provides convenience for applicants to apply for a patent in foreign countries. In China, applicants can write application documents in their familiar language (Chinese) and submit them directly to the Patent Office in China National Intellectual Property Administration, China.
B. delaying the decision-making time is conducive to adjusting the application strategy, accurately investing funds and saving unnecessary expenses. Because the international phase and the national phase of PCT application are separated, the applicant has enough time and opportunity to make adjustments. In the international stage, PCT applications will be searched by international search agencies, and applicants will get high-quality international search reports and patent written opinions. The international search report gives one or more existing technical documents, so that the patent applicant can not only know the status of the existing technology, but also preliminarily judge whether the invention has the prospect of granting a patent. According to these reports and written opinions, the applicant can preliminarily judge whether the invention can be patented, and then go through the formalities of entering many countries within 30 months from the priority date as needed, that is, submit the translation of the PCT application and pay the corresponding fees. During this period, the patent applicant can investigate the market, the commercial prospect of the invention and other factors, and decide whether to continue to apply for foreign patents, and then spend a lot of money to enter the national stage. If, after investigation, it is decided not to apply for a patent abroad, it can save the cost of the national phase abroad.
C. You can get the application date quickly and have a long time to raise application funds. The cost of applying for foreign patents is very high. The cost of each patent in major industrialized countries is not less than 5,000 US dollars, and some patent applications cost more than 1 10,000 US dollars. Applying to several countries at the same time will be a considerable expense. By using PCT application, the time to pay the main fee can be extended to 30 months from the priority date, without affecting the early application.
D. improve the application documents. The applicant may modify the application documents according to the international search report and the written opinions of the patent.
For any individual or company seeking invention protection in several countries (the "applicant"), using PCT means saving time, workload and money.
Pass the PCT regional patent
For applicants who want to protect their inventions in patent treaties and PCT member countries in any region, there are other important benefits by combining the PCT system with the patent systems in these regions. PCT and regional patent system are not only completely coordinated with each other, but also provide the convenience for the applicant to combine the two systems, no matter which country he submits his application. The following paragraphs explain the use of PCT in combination with regional patent systems, so that patents can be obtained through PCT, namely, ARIPO Harare Agreement, Eurasian Patent Convention, European Patent Convention and OAPI Agreement, and through the so-called ARIPO-PCT Approach, Eurasian -PCT Approach, European -PCT Approach and? OAPI- 3%? Tao. " In the case of European patent convention, it can also be used in combination with PCT.
(Zhuo Yi Intellectual Property)